Raleigh, N.C. – Senior budget writers in the North Carolina House of Representatives responded Wednesday to a proposed budget released by Gov. Roy Cooper that would put the state in twice as much debt as recommended by its Debt Affordability Advisory Committee.

Senior House budget writers agreed the governor’s spending proposal is the wrong direction of wasteful spending for North Carolina taxpayers.

“I didn’t think Governor Cooper’s budget proposals could put the state in graver financial danger than the $500 million deficit he proposed in 2018, but this year’s recommendation to borrow more than double our consensus debt capacity does just that,” said Senior House Appropriations Committee Co-Chair Jason Saine (R-Lincoln), pictured.

“I invite the governor to submit a revised proposal to the General Assembly that shows he is as serious about balancing budgets as North Carolina families and businesses have to be, instead of using his recommendations as a political game.”

Senior House Appropriations Committee Co-Chair Donny Lambeth (R-Forsyth), a former CEO of Wake Forest Baptist Hospital, said the governor’s budget proposal “betrays our duty to the people expecting a responsible state government.”

“The people of North Carolina need leaders willing to make the hard choices like they do at the kitchen table, so we can continue to fund core priorities and have critical savings reserves when natural disasters or economic recessions occur,” Lambeth said.

“The governor’s insistence on spending as much taxpayer money as financially possible every year is the wrong approach. By raiding our state’s annual commitment to the State Capital Infrastructure Fund, for example, his budget proposal actually threatens our long-term commitment to North Carolina’s key construction needs and betrays our duty to the people expecting a responsible state government.”

Senior House Appropriations Committee Co-Chair Linda Johnson (R-Cabarrus) also released a statement:

“North Carolinians are enjoying the prosperity of a thriving economy that is the direct result of responsible state government reforms and spending. Returning to days of broken programs and overspending is the wrong approach for schools, taxpayers, and future generations.”